


Sea Anchor

by Nativestar



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29888031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nativestar/pseuds/Nativestar
Summary: Set at the end of 5x10, between Mac leaving his house and knocking on Riley's door, Mac goes to visit someone.
Relationships: Angus MacGyver & Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 65





	Sea Anchor

**Author's Note:**

> _A sea anchor is a device that is streamed from a boat in heavy weather. Its purpose is to stabilize the vessel and to limit progress through the water._
> 
> Thanks to Nade, for reading this first and encouraging me to post.

“Hey, Jack.” Mac lowered himself carefully down to the ground, taking a moment to try and find a position that wouldn’t hurt his hip, before realising that there simply wasn’t one. With a sigh, he decided _screw it_ , and laid down on the cool grass. It was dark and deserted. There was a clear sky tonight and even through the light pollution, Mac could spot a handful of stars. “Sorry to come here so late, but I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

Mac could almost hear Jack’s _something on your mind, hoss?_

“I don’t even know where to start.”

Mac sighed.

“I needed to talk to someone and… you’re the only one I can right now.” Mac tore off a blade of grass and started fiddling with it with his fingers, twisting it up and tying a knot. “I’d normally speak to Boze but… I don’t know if you know but Leanna died. We only found out today.”

Mac rolled his head towards the gravestone.

“If you see her up there, tell her… tell her we’re sorry. She deserved better.” Turning back to the stars Mac added. “I’m gonna spend the day with Boze tomorrow, but… he wanted to be alone this evening. We all did. We all needed some space.”

Which didn’t really make sense, Mac realised. He was going to have to explain to Jack. But how the hell did you even begin to start describing what had happened. It was… its own brand of crazy. Murdoc’s brand of crazy. Right. Murdoc. That was a good place to start.

“Murdoc escaped from the black site.” Mac snorted and rolled his eyes. “Yes, _again,_ I know. FBI knew and didn’t loop us in.” Mac shook his head slightly. When were they going to start trusting each other? Today had shown nothing good comes from keeping secrets.

“He hacked our comms. Heard things he shouldn’t have. Private things.”

Mac plucked another couple of blades of grass and started weaving them together as his eyes tracked the flashing lights of a plane across the dark sky.

“Does Riley come talk to you?” Mac asked. “Does she tell you things like I do? Because today I found out she had feelings for me. Like real feelings. Past tense. Had.”

Except something was gnawing away in the back of Mac’s mind. A question. Had he actually asked if those feelings had passed? Or had Riley just implied they had?

“I don’t know what to do, Jack. Whatever I do, someone gets hurt. Even if I do nothing, someone gets hurt.”

_What does your gut tell you, Mac?_

“That I’m not ready to propose.” Mac said. He’d been relieved earlier that Desi had suggested they forget the last twenty four hours had happened. Riley had said her feelings had passed. He’d took the easy route out and accepted their words at face value but thinking about it, talking to Jack and saying the words out loud, had made him realise that would be wrong.

He couldn’t go back to before. He wasn’t sure what his feelings were for Riley, they were cloudy and distorted. He knew he loved Desi but… but what he wasn’t sure. But if there _was_ a ‘but’ wasn’t that a sign in itself? And now that he thought about it, thinking back over Desi’s words to him, he felt certain that she was not ready for him to propose neither.

“Okay, that’s one problem sorted.” Mac murmured.

“What do I do about Riles, Jack?” Mac asked. “You’d probably kill me if I started dating her.” Mac frowned. “Wait, why am I thinking about dating her?”

Mac dropped the messy tangle of grass in his hands and pushed his fingers through his hair.

“What am I doing?” He whispered.

Mac heaved a sigh. “What should I do, Jack?”

_What are you asking me for? Go talk to her._

“You’re right.” Mac said. He needed answers and he wasn’t going to get them here. He couldn’t just pretend the last twenty four hours hadn’t happened. He didn’t think he wanted to neither. He’d learnt some hard truths today and… as difficult as it had been, and would continue to be, it was for the best. They’d have come out at some point or another anyway, and now they could start to heal and to move on in the right direction.

Mac sat up and winced his way to his knees. He felt old and his body was feeling the battering it had taken earlier. Some day sooner than he’d like, he was going to have to apologise to Jack for teasing him with old man jokes for so many years. Getting old was no joke.

“Thanks for listening, Jack.” Mac said as got to his feet. He tapped the headstone with his fist. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

He paused.

“I miss you, pal.”

With a deep breath, he started walking back to the main gate. It was a good half hour walk to Riley’s from here, that would give him time to decide what he was going to say.

**Author's Note:**

> (Jack is alive, Mac just doesn't know it yet.)


End file.
